Information Minister Piah Harasses Another Journalist
- Michael T
- Sep 14, 2025
- 1 min read
SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba County — Liberia’s Information Minister, Jerolinmek M. Piah, is at the center of another controversy following accusations of physically harassing D. Franklin Doloquee, FrontPage Africa’s Nimba County correspondent, during a press event in Sanniquellie, Nimba County, over the weekend. The incident has reawakened concerns about the minister’s record of hostility toward the media.
According to witnesses and a corroborated audio recording, the dispute escalated after Doloquee questioned Piah over the unexplained absence of Vice President Jeremiah Koung. In response, Piah demanded that all interview photos and videos be deleted—an order the reporter refused. The minister then seized Doloquee’s phone and deleted several files himself.
According to FrontPage Africa, Doloquee’s phone had not been returned—a move press advocates say amounts to official intimidation and suppression of News gathering.
This is not the minister’s first such altercation. Earlier this year, Piah drew criticism for insulting a journalist who sought an interview in a Monrovia supermarket, fueling appeals for wider protections for reporters operating in Liberia’s fragile media environment.
The latest episode has triggered an immediate and forceful response from journalists and concerned citizens, with widespread calls for a transparent, independent investigation and urgent safeguards for press freedom—warning that unchecked assaults on journalists threaten to derail Liberia’s fragile democratic gain.
Minister Piah has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
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